blah...blah...blah... Ginger!

asleep in her chair

What an intense 24 hours for me and mostly for the little Raui kitten. We have no idea what really happened. She was OK when I got up yesterday morning, she used her box and I carried her downstairs. I did that because Tita was waiting at the door to ambush her and I wanted her to get downstairs for her breakfast.

I put her down on the terrace and went in to make coffee and get the cats food. About then, the Dodwell’s arrived with their 2 dogs and Barney the cat. Raui never came for her breakfast and Barney ended up eating it. I called her but she didn’t come and I figured there were too many people and animals there.

We took off for the grocery store and when we got back she still didn’t come. Then I got worried and Paula and I searched for her everywhere. We were on our knees looking under everything, in the yard, couldn’t find her and no response when we called.

I was calling her and walking across the upstairs terrace and I saw a small movement. She was between a planter and the railing and she was able to just push her head out a little bit and I saw her. She was limp, she cried when we moved her. Paula and I took off to take her to the vet, I was driving and at one point she kind of rolled and opened her mouth, panted and then stopped. We thought she stopped breathing, but Paula was able to see a slight movement in her body. My god, it was the longest drive across the city through rush hour traffic.

When we got there Dr Tony took her in back and but he was shaking his head. I didn’t want to keep him from her so we left. I called 3 times within the next 4 hours. She was barely alive. She would start to have a seizure but not complete it, she was unconscious but not quite in a coma, her pupils were different sizes and she screamed in pain if you touched her head. They got her on an IV of fluids and steroids and Dr Nelson started calling around to the human pharmacies looking for a particular diuretic that removes fluid in the skull. That was at 8pm last night and all I knew was either she would die during the night or if she made it that long she would have a chance. No one knew whether she would have neurological damage if she lived.

I waited until 9am this morning to call because I assumed they would not stay with her. I was wrong. They were there with her until midnight and he found the diuretic and it had a very fast effect and he said she was awake and walking and ate at midnight. They had my old cell phone number and couldn’t call me. Before she came around, she had a full seizure, stopped breathing twice and they got her started again. They admitted to me today that they were not at all optimistic that she would live last night, I also realized her chances were not good but I hoped she had not used up all her 9 lives in that Chedraui parking lot where I first found her.

hungry for her home cooked food

We’ll never know what really happened to her. The leukemia virus does not go to the brain, reactions to the vaccine are anaphalactic shock and not swelling in the brain. So, they ruled out a reaction to the vaccine from the day before. She has no lacerations, punctures, rash, or any outwardly visible signs of trauma. They considered poisoning but said she would not have recovered so quickly, she would still be lethargic and uncoordinated today. The only thing left is trauma to the head or ear. It’s possible that one of our galumphy large dogs knocked her against the wall running by her. If they had stepped on her head, we think there would have been other signs of injury to her mouth, tongue, etc. The only thing the Drs and I can imagine is that she was bowled over or knocked into the wall somehow. If she had been knocked off the stairs I doubt she would have landed on her head, cats don’t react like that. I truly don’t think the dogs did anything to her on purpose, but that fear is never far from my mind. I will be keeping her away from everyone until she is larger and stronger.

The amazing thing is that she seems to have no residual effects. She is eating, drinking a lot of water, playing a little, and purring non stop now that she is home. She seemed to recognize me, the house and went right to the chair she slept in the first week she was here. I’m going to keep her in the office alone for now, although she seems fine she needs to rest. She has no tenderness on her head, she pushed it against me and the carry cage and she seems to enjoy having it scratched. I just have no idea what happened but I am so incredibly happy to have her home and healthy. This little kitten has fought so hard to live, she has taken over my heart.

Oh, and just another reason I would never move back the USA… the bill from the vet was $510 pesos which today is the equivalent of $39.70 in US dollars. I am sure that there are vets up north that would give the same care, we’ve had some wonderful ones. I’m also sure that I would have paid an enormous sum for that kind of care and treatment. In fact, I could have paid a whole lot more for uncaring and marginal treatment and probably lost Raui.

If you are in Mérida, let me put the link to these wonderful vets up again. Planned Pethood They are the best!

Yay Raui!